10.27.2006

The End of the Line





With one of the world's longest beaches, Chittagong is Bangladesh's biggest port. Half of the world's supertankers are disassembled here. When the tide is high, vessels are driven at full speed toward the shore. Once the water recedes and the ships rest along the muddy beach, the salvage crews move in, emptying the vessels of everything on board. When the tide is high, vessels are driven at full speed toward the shore. Once the water recedes and the ships rest along the muddy beach, the salvage crews move in, emptying the vessels of everything on board. Conditions in the shipyards are dangerous. Many workers are barefoot and without gloves, carefully avoiding razor-sharp metal, hot steel, and pollutants. For all its hazards, the ship breaking industry employs, directly or indirectly, an estimated 200,000 Bangladeshis. The scrap metal stripped off these vessels supplies 80 percent of Bangladesh's steel. Eventually nothing but tiny fragments remain, buried in the mud. From dawn to dusk, local women and children scavenge the beach, collecting these small shards of metal to sell to Chittagong's local merchants.
Foreign Policy

3 Comments:

At 2:40 AM, Blogger MaSRade said...

wow, this is fascinating. keep up the good work...

 
At 1:20 PM, Blogger Erika said...

Thanks Masrade!

 
At 1:20 PM, Blogger Erika said...

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